281-6 A Catalog of Volcanic Vents in the Elysium Volcanic Province, Mars

Session: Petrology, Volcanology, and Mantle Plumes across the Solar System, Part II

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High resolution visible and moderate to high resolution topographic data has enabled the identification of small-scale volcanic landforms on Mars. Specifically, this has enabled new insights into the formation processes of small volcanic vents (e.g., mildly explosive and phreatomagmatic eruptions). Richardson et al. [2021] produced a volcanic catalog of ~1100 volcanic vents for the Tharsis Volcanic Province, which covers ~25% of the Martian surface. The Elysium Volcanic Province (EVP) is the second largest volcanic region on the planet covering ~10 million km². This region includes evidence of geologically recent volcanism (<10 Ma), hydrovolcanic features, and potentially ongoing magmatic activity. The EVP hosts three large volcanic constructs – Hecates Tholus, Elysium Mons, and Albor Tholus – on the Elysium rise. Numerous smaller volcanic vents have been identified in previous studies; however, no systematic study of observed vents exists to date for the EVP. 

Here, we present a preliminary geospatial dataset of 137 suspected volcanic vents identified within the EVP. These vents display 4 primary morphologies and occur on Amazonian (< 3 Ga) and Hesperian (~3.7 – 3 Ga) aged units. The four primary vent morphologies are linear, low shield, pitted cone, and irregular depression. In order to identify possible vents, we used moderate and high-resolution thermal infrared (THEMIS – 100 m/px) and visible (CTX – ~5 m/px; HiRISE – ~0.25 m/px) image data, respectively. For topographic analysis, we used MOLA elevation data (~463 m/px and PEDR data), and CTX DEMs (~20 m/px) where available. Analyses were conducted within the JMARS geospatial information system. Our preliminary observations indicate the following: (1) The region has primarily produced effusive volcanic vents (e.g., linear and low shields) from the Amazonian and Hesperian. (2) Volcanic vents are primarily clustered around the Elysium Rise and Cerberus Plains. (3) Interactions between magma and water have produced complex volcanic vent morphologies. These preliminary observations suggest that although the EVP has been less productive in terms of erupted volcanic materials than Tharsis, the province has produced a more diverse array of landforms. Furthermore, the interaction of magma and water in Elysium has palaeoclimatological and astrobiology implications.

Richardson, J. A., J. E. Bleacher, C. B. Connor, and L. S. Glaze. “Small Volcanic Vents of the Tharsis Volcanic Province, Mars.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126, no. 2 (2021): e2020JE006620. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JE006620.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-7616

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